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Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen met with United States House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Apr. 5 (local time).
It was the first time a Taiwanese president had met a U.S. House Speaker on U.S. soil after the ending of formal diplomatic relations in 1979, Focus Taiwan reported.
It is also the third time a Taiwanese leader has met with a U.S. House speaker.
McCarthy has become the most senior U.S. official to meet a Taiwanese leader in the U.S. itself, according to Reuters.
The meeting
McCarthy hosted the Taiwanese president at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, U.S.
The meeting was also attended by a bipartisan group of Congress members, Associated Press (AP) reported.
"I believe our bond is stronger now than at any time or point in my lifetime," McCarthy said in a joint press conference on Apr. 5 (local time).
Noting that "Taiwan is a successful democracy, a thriving economy, and a global leader in health and science,” he called for continued cooperation with the people of Taiwan.
He also stressed that the U.S.-Taiwan friendship "is a matter of profound importance to the free world".
In addition, the U.S. House Speaker committed to the continuance of arms sales to Taiwan and ensuring that these sales “reach Taiwan on a very timely basis” in a later news conference, according to Reuters.
Tsai: “We are not isolated”
Meanwhile, Tsai said that the people of Taiwan were reassured with the presence of bipartisan Congress members at the meeting.
"We are not isolated, and we are not alone,” said Tsai in her remarks.
“It is no secret that today the peace that we have maintained and the democracy which (we) have worked hard to build are facing unprecedented challenges.”
“We once again find ourselves in a world where democracy is under threat and the urgency of keeping the beacon of freedom shining cannot be understated.”
She also paid tribute to the late President Ronald Reagan, who was a vocal supporter of Taiwan and played an important role in safeguarding U.S.-Taiwan relations during a time of shifting diplomatic realities.
"I would like to add that we are stronger when we are together," Tsai commented.
The Taiwanese president also thanked U.S. members of Congress for their proposals in helping Taiwan build up its defence capabilities and economic ties with the U.S.
China's reaction
Condemnation of meeting
In response to the meeting between Tsai and McCarthy, China’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Apr. 6 to condemn the exchange.
It wrote that the U.S. had deliberately “greenlighted the transit of Tsai” and that U.S. officials had “provided the platform for her separatist rhetoric for Taiwan independence”.
“This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués.
"It seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and sends an egregiously wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatist forces.”
“China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it."
The foreign ministry once again reiterated that Taiwan remained as a core interest of China and “the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.”
China has repeatedly criticised and warned against the Tsai-McCarthy meeting, saying that they would take "resolute measures" to defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Chinese military activities
Chinese military planes, warships and an aircraft carrier have been detected around Taiwan ever since McCarthy's confirmation of his meeting with Tsai.
On Apr. 6, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry detected a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and three PLA Navy vessels around Taiwan.
This is in addition to the 14 PLA aircraft and three PLAN vessels detected on Apr. 5 plus 20 PLA aircraft and three PLAN vessels on Apr. 4, after McCarthy confirmed his meeting with Tsai.
Ahead of the meeting on Apr. 5, China had also deployed its newest aircraft carrier, the Shandong, into Taiwan’s southeastern waters for a long-range exercise.
Taiwan military has deployed its own vessels, aircraft and defence missile systems to respond to Chinese military activities.
"No room for China to comment"
Despite the threat of retaliation from China, Taiwan defended Tsai's meeting with McCarthy.
“Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid,” Chang Tun-han, the deputy secretary-general of Taiwan’s presidential office said, quoting from a 1983 speech by the late U.S. president Ronald Reagan, Financial Times reported.
It was Taiwan's rights "to have exchanges with democratic nations, and there is no room for China to comment," he said.
Not the first time
This is not the first time China threatened retaliation should a U.S. House Speaker met with Tsai.
Last year, the country had warned of "firm and strong measures" to safeguard its "sovereignty and territorial integrity" should former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visit Taiwan in her Asia trip.
Despite numerous warnings, Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Aug. 2, 2022. She met Tsai the next day, where the latter presented Pelosi with the medal of honour.
In retaliation for Pelosi's visit, China launched six live-fire drills in the waters around Taiwan a day after she met with Tsai.
Tsai's 10-day official trip
Tsai's meeting with McCarthy concluded her 10-day official trip to Central America as she seeks to deepen international ties, affirming Taiwan's ability to engage in international diplomatic relations.
She arrived in Los Angeles from Belize for a stopover on Wednesday (Apr. 5) after the second leg of her tour in Central America, Taipei Times reported.
The trip from Mar. 29 to Apr. 7 was Tsai's first overseas visit since the pandemic. She visited Guatemala and Belize, where she made transits in New York en route to Guatemala and Los Angeles on her return trip to Taiwan.
Related:
Top images via Taiwan's presidential office